Field
The present invention relates to a light emitting diode (LED) microcontroller. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to an LED microcontroller for use in display or lighting applications.
Background Information
Flat panel displays utilizing LED devices are gaining popularity in a wide range of electronic devices, from small, handheld electronic devices to large outdoor displays. High-resolution LED displays, such as those used in modern computer displays, smart phones and televisions, typically use an active matrix display structure. In an active matrix display, active driving circuitry is attached to each pixel or sub-pixel, allowing precise voltage switching for the individual pixels that passive matrix displays lack. The precise voltage switching allows for improved image quality and response time in comparison to passive matrix displays. In conventional active matrix displays, the switching circuitry at each pixel is implemented using a thin-film transistor (TFT) backplane driving the emissive elements. A typical TFT switching circuit used in emissive active matrix displays is the 2T1C circuit, which contains two transistors and one capacitor, although more advanced TFT circuits is possible.
The use of the TFT backplane allows improved precision in relation to passive matrix displays, however the use of the thin-film transistor backplane is not without drawbacks. High quality TFT fabrication is costly. The highest quality TFTs require fabrication on a quartz substrate due to the high temperatures involved in the fabrication process. Lower temperature processes can be used with a glass substrate, however the resulting transistors may suffer from low carrier mobility, reducing the conductivity of the transistors. Current leakage and power consumption can also become a problem, and uniformity issues can arise at various points during the fabrication process.